Need for Speed NITRO Brings Adrenaline-Fueled Racing to Retailers on November 17

Need for Speed NITRO, the first ever Need for Speed title made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS will ship to retailers worldwide on November 17th. This holiday, gamers must battle through the mayhem of relentless cops, master the art of drifting to gain boost at 200 mph, and prove themselves across five exotic cities at blistering speeds.

"Need for Speed NITRO offers fun and intense competition for every type of gamer, “said Joe Booth, Senior Producer, EA Montreal. "The varied track designs, deep controls, and intuitive drift and nitro mechanics give players something to come back to for months on end. We wanted to fuse together attitude with car culture and the best of arcade racing, to create a new and unique racing experience for the Wii and NDS this November.”

Boasting support for the Wii Remote, Nunchuk, racing wheel, classic controller, GameCube controller and DS stylus, Need for Speed NITRO lets players decide exactly how they want to dominate the competition. For the ultimate bragging rights, gamers can’t just win the race, they must own it. With a nearly limitless visual customization system, gamers can design a unique art style to attach to their ride. As they edge out competitors in driving finesse, their art will overtake the world, vibrantly painting the story of racing supremacy. All this combined with fresh modes, tracks and exotic real world locations make Need for Speed NITRO one of the most exciting, heart-pounding arcade racers for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

Need for Speed NITRO recently received IGN’s “Best Racing Game” award for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Need for Speed NITRO is developed by EA Montreal in Montreal and is not yet rated by the ESRB and PEGI.

FIFA 10 in stores on October 2nd

EA SPORTS is pleased to confirm that FIFA 10 will be available in stores internationally from October 2nd for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, Nintendo Wii home video game system, PC, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and mobile.

Jackson 5 Songs featured in Karaoke Revolution for Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360

Partnership Between UMe and EMI Marks First Time Jackson 5 Songs to be Featured Across All Next-Generation Platforms; Content to Include Number One Jackson 5 Hits and Additional Bonus Content

Konami Digital Entertainment announced it has secured licensed music of the Jackson 5 from Universal Music Enterprises to be featured in Karaoke Revolution for Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Players will be able to sing to original music of Jackson 5 classics including the number one hits "I'll Be There," and "ABC." The Jackson 5 content will be featured on the final disc at launch along Jackson 5 themes and photos. This original Jackson 5 content and themes will further distinguish Karaoke Revolution in the marketplace by being the first karaoke game to feature licensed music of the Jackson 5 across all next-generation gaming consoles.

"The music of the Jackson 5 is timeless," said Careen Yapp, Vice President of Licensing and Business Development. "We are thrilled to partner with UMe and EMI to pay homage to the American institution known as the Jackson 5 in Karaoke Revolution. The Jackson 5 was the first group to have four consecutive number one singles, and to have those iconic hits like 'I'll Be There' or 'I Want You Back' will give fans both old and new a chance to experience their music in a way they have never before."

"Konami are the pioneers of the karaoke gaming genre, in the same way that the Jackson 5 were pioneers for many of the pop groups and artists that have followed in their path. We're pleased to be able to have been able to provide fans of the Jackson 5 with a new way to experience the classic music that made them such worldwide stars" adds Rod Kotler, Vice President of Music Resources at EMI Music Publishing.

Additionally, the game will let karaoke fans sing and compete against friends with expanded multiplayer modes, 50 all-new hit songs from master recordings, as well as an endless amount of customizable venue options and newly enhanced customizable characters, including dramatic facial and body morphing.

Karaoke Revolution's expanded multiplayer modes allow players to throw karaoke parties with their friends, or perform solo in a single-player career. If you want to hear your favorite songs in succession, just create a playlist, pick up the microphone and jump in at anytime! Players can sing to a wide variety of contemporary hits and classic favorites from licensed master recordings. In addition, those using either the Xbox 360® or the PLAYSTATION®3 can utilize the co-op Party Mode with online game modes for up to 8 players or battle with or against each other in the ultimate competition.

Also new to this year's version are the enhanced customizations that allow singers to design and personalize their venues and characters in ways that are guaranteed to catch the attention of the crowd. Karaoke Revolution offers singers the opportunity to create a virtual representation of themselves with the abundance of character customization and body manipulation options. Players can record themselves with the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera or the PLAYSTATION® Eye to incorporate themselves right on screen inside their custom venues! While Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers can also select and download licensed master tracks, share exclusive venues and additional clothing and accessories

Like all versions from this acclaimed franchise, Karaoke Revolution features a proprietary voice recognition technology which accurately recognizes and scores vocal pitch and rhythm. Real-time feedback is offered by the dynamic crowds that fill each virtual venue. The game comes packaged with a microphone providing players ready-to-perform access.

Karaoke Revolution will be released in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Win cash prizes playing Naruto Shippuden - Clash of Ninja revolution 3 at san Diego

Fans of Popular Fighting Game Series Who Compete in Daily Tournaments

Can Win Prizes and Giveaways at the Gaming University Booth No5135
Consumer software and entertainment company TOMY Corporation announced today plans to feature tournament play of NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 for the first time this week at the 2009 Comic-Con in the San Diego Convention Center.

Fans aged 13 and older can test their mettle and vie for prizes during daily tournaments featuring the upcoming Wii™ fighter title, or win limited edition NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 or Ninja Destiny 2 dog tags by simply visiting the booth and trying out the game, while supplies last.

Hands-on game play trials of the upcoming Wii exclusive fighter will be available throughout the show, or attendees can gain entry into the tournaments by seeing a TOMY representative on the booth during show hours. Tournaments will take place each day from 4:30 p.m. at the Future Gaming University booth #5135, July 23 - 26. Players will compete in one of four four-player matches, with the winner of each round advancing to the final championship round each day. In the final match, the players can win by gaining two points, or by winning two rounds.

Three runners-up will receive a first-run copy of NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 for the Nintendo Wii when it is released this fall, a copy of NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 for the Nintendo DS, as well as a first-run copy of NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 for the Nintendo DS when it is released in September. In addition to the prizes mentioned above, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a complete set of NARUTO Shippuden Ninjutsu Collection figures from Toynami, a Naruto Shippuden Leaf Village head band, and other Naruto collectibles from Great Eastern.

In addition to competing for prizes at the Future Gaming University booth, attendees also have the chance to participate in more tournament play for NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 at the Viz Media booth, No2813, on Sunday, July 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The grand prize winner will receive a Nintendo Wii console and a copy of the game when it ships in the fall.

IL-2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey video game out September 4th

The highly anticipated World War II flight combat title IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey will make its console debut on September 4th in the UK with pre-orders now being taken across many online retailers.

Developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Xbox 360 and PS3, DiP Interactive for Nintendo DS and SME Dynamic Systems Limited for PSP and features the greatest aerial battles of the Second World War, and boasts the most realistic landscapes and aircraft seen in any flight game.

Players participate in the most famous confrontations of the era piloting fighters, battle planes or heavy bombers across a range of daring and action packed missions. There are 6 theaters of war in which to engage – The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily, the Battle of the Bulge and Korsun – representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe. Unlock over 40 planes, all faithfully recreated in amazing detail, and pilot them in breath taking air battles and daring bombing runs spread over 50 campaign missions and multi-player modes.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey will be published by 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company. Visit the official website at www.il2game.com for all the latest information

NFL and Entertainment Worlds Collide: Madden NFL 10 Youth Football Festival & Pigskin Pro-Am

John Elway, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Jeremy Piven and Ving Rhames Headline Flag Football Game On Friday

Roger Craig And Donnie Edwards Teach Football Skills and Healthy Habits to 500 Los Angeles Area Middle Schoolers in Madden NFL Play 60 Youth Football Festival on Thursday.

Madden-NFL Play 60 Youth Football Festival

WHAT:
EA SPORTS and the NFL will host a one-day NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival. This festival will bring 500 middle school youth from the Los Angeles area to participate in football clinics and other health and fitness activities. EA SPORTS will use Madden NFL 10 as a teaching tool to help enhance children’s football knowledge.


WHERE:
Malibu Bluffs State Park
Malibu, CA


WHEN:
Thursday, July 23, 2009


9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PT


WHO:


RB ROGER CRAIG, San Francisco 49ers


LB DONNIE EDWARDS, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers


500 Los Angeles Area Middle School Students


VIP Red Carpet

WHAT:
Photo Opportunity featuring NFL players and celebrities who will participate in the Madden NFL 10 Pigskin Pro-Am.


WHERE:
Loews Santa Monica Hotel
Santa Monica, CA


WHEN:
Thursday, July 23, 2009


7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PT (media check-in starts at 6:30 p.m.)


Madden NFL 10 Pigskin Pro-Am

WHAT:


Current and former NFL players, including five Hall of Famers, and celebrities face off in a flag football game. The game will be produced by NFL Films and broadcast on NFL Network, ESPN2, VH-1 and SPIKE, in the days leading up to and following the August 14th release of Madden NFL 10 from EA SPORTS. Xbox 360 game kiosks will be available for hands-on with Madden NFL 10.


WHERE:
Malibu Bluffs State Park
Malibu, CA


WHEN:
Friday, July 24, 2009


Media availability begins at 3:30 p.m. PT


Game begins at 5:00 p.m. PT


WHO:


Former NFL Player Participants:


RB MARCUS ALLEN – LA Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs


QB JOHN ELWAY – Denver Broncos


RB MARSHALL FAULK – Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams


QB JOE MONTANA – San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs


WR JERRY RICE – San Francisco 49ers


RB BARRY SANDERS – Detroit Lions


WR DEION SANDERS – Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens


LB JUNIOR SEAU – San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots



Current NFL Players (acting as coaches):


WR LARRY FITZGERALD – Arizona Cardinals


TE TONY GONZALEZ – Atlanta Falcons


RB WILLIE PARKER – Pittsburgh Steelers


LB DeMARCUS WARE – Dallas Cowboys



Celebrity Participants:


ANTHONY ANDERSON


KEVIN DILLON


DONALD FAISON


BRODY JENNER


TAYLOR LAUTNER


JESSE McCARTNEY


MARIA MENOUNOS


JASON PATRIC


JEREMY PIVEN


VING RHAMES


KELLY ROWLAND


ALLISON SWEENEY



Musical Performance:


LL COOL J



(Participants subject to change)

EA and Dark Horse Comics Blast off with Mass Effect Comic Series

Sci-Fi Comic Prequel Bridges Heroic Conclusion of Mass Effect and Mysterious Beginning of Mass Effect 2.

BioWare, a studio of Electronic Arts and Dark Horse Comics today announced a new comic book series based on Mass Effect, the blockbuster sci-fi action videogame that IGN.com rated the No1 Xbox 360 game of all time. In Mass Effect: Redemption, the story takes readers through the treacherous events leading up to Mass Effect 2 which opens with galactic hero Commander Shepard having mysteriously gone missing and left to fight for survival. What unfolds next will expose readers to new locations, aliens and extended storyline in the Mass Effect universe. Mass Effect: Redemption is scheduled to launch in January 6, 2010.

The Mass Effect: Redemption story is written by Lead Writer Mac Walters at BioWare. Walters is the script writer behind Mass Effect 2. He brings unique insight to the Mass Effect comic and nuance of the world within. The comic is scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars Legacy). This first four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies of this rich science fiction landscape.

Mac Walters and Omar Francia will be autographing a Comic-con exclusive Mass Effect signing card at the Dark Horse booth (#2615) on July 24th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm at Comic-Con International 2009 in San Diego, CA.

“Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics,” says Mac Walters. “We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built in to the Mass Effect 2 arc, right from the ground up. Reading the series won’t just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2… and beyond.”

“Those familiar with Mass Effect are aware that it offers one of the deepest and most compelling universes in the history of space adventure,” says Dark Horse President and Publisher Mike Richardson. “We have a long history of successfully adapting properties such as Aliens, Star Wars, and Serenity into comics, and we feel that Mass Effect has tremendous potential with regard to graphic storytelling.”

The narrative in Mass Effect: Redemption picks up just as Commander Shepard disappears and is left without the support of the crew on the Normandy in the lawless Terminus Systems. Shepard must fight for survival, and will be assisted by close companion, Dr. Liara T’Soni, to come home alive. This story is sure to be a must-read for fans looking to fill the gap between the first and second game.

Mass Effect: Redemption issue 1 hits comic shop shelves on January 6, 2010.

Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PC in early 2010.

Marvel v Capcom 2 mix tape video premiere

A free companion album for Marvel v Capcom 2 inspired by the game and featuring some of the hottest hip hop artists around.


We'll be revealing the entire track listing next week, but today we're revealing the first music video from the album along with the cover art.

The video - The Grouch and Eligh's track "Fight The Good Fight"

Xbox Live link with Ibiza Rocks this summer

Xbox today celebrates another exciting partnership with Ibiza Rocks Hotel as it announces plans to exclusively deliver Ibiza Rocks music content including performances and backstage footage throughout this Summer’s stellar line up of the biggest bands and breakthrough artists.

This year sees the return of the Xbox Social to the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, allowing guests at the party island’s favourite hotel to sample the very best in music games on the ultimate entertainment console. In partnership with Guitar Hero World Tour, Xbox LIVE fans will be able to watch HD footage** of the summer’s hottest action directly through their Xbox for an exclusive period of time.

Fans will be able to catch all the poolside performances and behind the scenes action from Ibiza Rocks including Calvin Harris, The Enemy, Dizzee Rascal, Vampire Weekend, Klaxons and many more hot acts in full HD throughout the summer on Xbox LIVE before the shows land several days later on www.xbox.com.

Xbox LIVE, the free-to-connect online service, not only connects you to range of great Music experiences, but incredible free content like the official Ibiza Rocks show. Kicking the summer off in true style are the Ting Tings, who, following a set by pop sensation Frankmusik, were warmed up by a blistering DJ set from Radio 1’s Zane Lowe in the first edition of “Xbox 360 and Guitar hero World Tour Present: Ibiza Rocks”.

With the Ting Tings, Kooks and Friendly Fires already up on Xbox LIVE, keep an eye out for the following shows across the summer, hitting Xbox LIVE for an exclusive period:

• Calvin Harris plus Kissy Sellout (Live) with a special DJ set from Burns*
• The Enemy plus Reverend and the Makers*
• Dizzee Rascal plus Example and Newham Generals*
• Vampire Weekend plus Mike Snow*
• Closing Party with Klaxons and The Big Pink*

* Performances covered on Xbox LIVE

** HD compatible TV required

FIFA 10 – Blog 3 Gameplay Producer Blog – Responding to Community Feedback

Before becoming part of the FIFA Development team, I was a FIFA fan for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Bogota, Colombia, I bought a copy of FIFA 96 when I was about 13 years old, and have played every subsequent title since. Back then I played countless hours of FIFA on the only desktop computer we had at the house. Unfortunately, it was in my sister’s room…I don’t think she likes FIFA very much.
Each FIFA title has given me innumerable moments of joy and football glory, accompanied by numerous pet peeves that frustrated my gaming experience – I mean, why does my defender stop on through balls? And why does the CPU always score the same goal? And why is it so easy for me to score the same goal over and over again?
When I joined the FIFA team as a Gameplay Producer for Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2007, I was glad to find out that part of my job consisted of visiting the forums and other online sites in order to find out what was frustrating FIFA gamers around the world. For FIFA 10, making sure we responded to fan feedback was paramount. From fixing bugs and exploits to refining and innovating in response to requests from fans, we have involved the community in our attempt to make the best football game ever.

The Value of Feedback
The forums are full of really good ideas and suggestions. The true value of feedback, however, lies not in these original ideas, but rather in helping us realize what the most important things for the community are. In other words, I think we are very good at knowing what is wrong with the game and what we need to do to improve it. Unfortunately, we cannot fix everything in one (or several!) production cycles. Knowing what the most pressing and important issues are for our fans helps us prioritize the countless things we want to fix.
For example, we’ve always known that the Goalkeeper could not get sent off in FIFA 09. Ever since I joined the team, we’ve wanted to fix this. However, technical difficulties made fixing this trivial problem anything but simple. We knew the problem was there, we wanted to fix it, but we never thought it was important enough to merit the several days of production time it required. Then, a few months following the release of FIFA 09, I kept running into more and more people upset about the Goalkeeper being impervious to cards. They argued, quite rightly, that it was unrealistic and it rendered the backup Goalkeepers useless. Late in the production cycle, I decided to investigate what it would take to fix it. I got the different game areas together – one of the challenges for this feature is that it requires rendering, front end, audio, and gameplay support – and set out a plan to implement it. A couple of weeks later, I was happy to go on the forums and let everyone know that in FIFA 10, the Goalkeeper will be able to get red carded. Had it not been for the community feedback, it is unlikely this feature would have made it into FIFA 10. Now everyone will have to think twice before leaving the keeper out of the lineup!

It’s not just about the forums
We take a proactive approach when it comes to getting feedback on our game. The forums are extremely important, but the feedback we find there is limited to the title we already released. Just as critical is getting fans to play the most up-to-date version of FIFA. To do this, we find several people from around the world who love football video games to come to our studio in Vancouver, BC and play the latest version of the game – the one with the latest code, features, game modes, etc. We do this several times during the production cycle, and not just in Vancouver but also in EA offices overseas. As a Gameplay Producer, I play FIFA every day to make sure we deliver against the vision set out for the game. However, when you play the game every day it is easy to lose perspective on how it is changing – how different it is from the previous iteration and whether we are on the right track. These ‘playtests’ give us a valuable opportunity not just to ask specific questions and get feedback on new features, but also to make sure our fans are excited about the direction we are taking FIFA in year after year.

So what can you expect in FIFA 10?
Along with innovating and refining our game, responding to feedback from the community was one of the paramount goals for FIFA 10. We will never be able to address all of the issues in any given year, but I think we took great strides in getting rid of some of the frustrations expressed by the community.
One such frustration that I wanted to make sure we addressed this year is how easy it is in FIFA 09 to play through balls for your fast striker to run onto and get a one-one-one with the goalkeeper. Lots of people on the forums were complaining that there was no need for midfield build-up play and that teams with strong and fast strikers had too big of an advantage – a problem that made online games very one-dimensional, as there seem to be no way of defending against the through balls. I am South American, so I’m all about midfield build-up! Remember Carlos Valderrama? Oh, how I miss him…
For FIFA 10, we have spent a significant amount of time addressing issues like this one in order to ship a game as balanced as possible. For this particular case, some of the improvements we made to fix the problem included: tuning our covering and positioning logic so that defenders can be in a better position to cope with ground and lofted through balls; we slowed down the dribblers’ speed a bit more when they touch the ball while dribbling so fast defenders will be able to catch up to dribblers more often (it makes sense, since you cannot sprint as fast off the ball as you would if you have to be taking consecutive dribble touches!); and we improved the Goalkeepers’ positioning and behavior during breakaways so they narrow down the angle better during one-on-ones.
There are many more examples like this one that illustrate how important it has been for us this year to use the feedback from the community in our development of FIFA 10. As I mentioned earlier, it is not just about fixing bugs and exploits. It is also about responding to requests. We have gone through countless forum threads, and many of the requests we have found there will be addressed in FIFA 10. Perhaps one of the best examples is that we will include a Practice Mode this year. Using the Back/Select button from the 1 on 1 arena, you’ll be able to bring up a menu allowing you to choose to play a practice match or set pieces, as well as the number of players you want on the field. You asked for it, you got it!
I should wrap this up now, but I will leave you with a taste of some of the other Gameplay features that will be in FIFA 10 as a result of feedback from the community.
Ability to change kick taker on set pieces
Ability to move the wall
Preventing goals being scored from kick-off
Making offsides less frequent and improving our advantage logic
Quick Free Kicks
Fewer ‘cut scenes’ replaced by on-the-field player reactions
‘Super Long Throws’ – Players like Rory Delap will be able to throw the ball into the heart of the box from afar
New ‘Ball Avoidance’ logic so teammates and the referee will get out of the way of passes and shots
And many more!

I hope you enjoy playing FIFA 10 as much as I did making it. Looking forward to visiting the forums and getting your feedback – keep it coming!

Santiago Jaramillo
Gameplay Producer
FIFA10 – Xbox 360, PS3